Birdline Central & Southern Queensland Weekly Update

Birdline Central & Southern Queensland

Published sightings for the week ending 6 Mar 2011.

Sun 6 Mar	Buller's Albatross Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island 1 adult close to shore going north just before 7.30am!!! Winds overnight were 40-50Kt SEs - they were around 40Kts all morning too. Also 30+ Brown Noddy, 100+ Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 1 Pomerine Jaeger and c10. Arctic Jaegers. Surprisingly little else during the morning. I'm not sure of the status of Buller's Albatorss in SEQ - I know there has been at least 1 record off Southport. Rob Morris
Sat 5 Mar	Lewin's Rail North Arm, Sunshine Coast A pair calling in creekside vegetation. Buff-banded Rail at the same site. Greg Roberts
Sun 27 Feb	Striated Grasswren, Rufous-crowned Emu-wren Bladensburg National Park, near Winton, Central west Qld A party of each these elusive species was seen this morning approx 1km S of Logan's Falls, 80mtrs west of the road near the cattle grid. The birding in this national park from Friday afternoon to late Sunday morning was exceptional. Apart from Striated Grasswrens & Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens, there were many great birds recorded, including high numbers of Pictorella Mannikins throughout the park. Some of the other more notable species I saw were - Emu, Spotted Nightjar, Brolgas, Bustard, Banded Lapwings, Aust Pratincole, Spinifex Pigeons, Cockatiels, Budgerigars, Red-browed Pardalote, Striped Honeyeater (far N edge of normal range), Grey-headed & Black-chinned Honeyeaters, Crimson Chats, Hooded Robins, Ground Cuckoo-shrikes, White-winged Trillers, all Woodswallows except Dusky, Spotted Bowerbird, Painted Finch, White-backed Swallows, both Songlarks, & Spinifexbirds at many sites. Apart from the ranger staff, I had the whole national park to myself for the duration of my stay. Martin Cachard
	Pictorella Mannikin Bladensburg National Park, near Winton, Central West Qld Good numbers of Pictorella Mannikins were recorded in Bladensburg over the weekend. A total upwards of 40 birds, including numbers of juveniles, was seen from 4 well-spaced sites within the park. The locations were: Manhole Bore on Scrammy Drive; 2km NE of Bough Shed Hole; E of Cragg's Grave; & Logan's Falls. The image attached features a gorgeous male with a female I photographed today at Logan's Falls where there was at least 20 birds. The spinifex is in good seed at the moment. Doubtless, there would be many more individuals spread around this area at present. Other observers heading out into this region should be alert to the possibility of recording this species. It seems that there is much about this specie's movements that we are yet to learn. In June 2007, I recorded more than 50 birds at Cuttaburra Crossing of Eyre Ck, midway between Bedourie & Birdsville. Sparse records have been made of this species at other widespread localities over the years. Martin Cachard
Fri 25 Feb	Spinifexbird Mt Walker, 10km S of Hughenden On Friday, 2 parties of Spinifexbirds were recorded on the summit plateau of Mt Walker, an earlier reported isolated population of this species. Moving about on the stony ground between clumps of spinifex, it can be easily appreciated that this species was initially identified here last year by some observers as Striated Grasswren. I did search for some grasswrens there but there wasn't any present. Martin Cachard
	Crimson Rosella Blackbraes National Park, 150km N of Hughenden A single immature Crimson Rosella was seen well near the entrance of Blackbraes on Friday. Eventhough this location is only a little way west of the Great Dividing Range, this record is a long way inland in this region for this species. Also, it was of interest that both Noisy & Yellow-throated Miners (in less numbers) were seen together at a few sites along the road between 20-50kms S of Blackbraes. Martin Cachard
Thu 10 Feb	Barbary Dove Bundamba This dove has been visiting me every evening. This seems different and I think it may not be a native but an escaped Dove and it is always alone. Paul Whitman

Birdline Central & Southern Queensland is sponsored by Birds Australia Southern Queensland and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds.

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